The Comparative Constitutions Project (CCP) has employed a team of eight interns this summer to expand the CCP’s coverage of content in national constitutions. The CCP ontology of topics currently tracks more than 330 topics in current and historical constitutions. Expanding this ontology will allow more comprehensive analysis of constitutions, as well as constitutional ideas raised in consultations, court rulings, and other legal texts.
The team is currently incorporating new topics raised in historical U.S. constitutional amendment proposals tracked by the Amend Project. The team uses natural language processing (NLP) tools developed by CCP to explore varied formulations of potential new topics, assess their similarity to existing CCP topics, and match selected new topics to constitutional provisions on Constitute.
New CCP topics are being added for a range of issues, from ballot access and parental rights to court jurisdiction, police, public support for religious institutions, and transportation. Watch for these and other new topics on Constitute soon!
This summer’s talented intern team on the ontology project includes:
Lucas Elkins is a senior at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School interested in sociology, political science, and economics. He uses his writing experience to research historical events and analyze them in a social and political context. In his free time, he enjoys playing competitive tennis and recording music.
Kendall Lowe is a Government and Humanities Honors double major at the University of Texas at Austin, currently completing her undergraduate thesis on the relationship between minority identity and U.S. American capitalism. As a member of the Disability Advocacy Student Coalition and former youth public office holder of the City of Waco, her primary interests include social justice, political economy, and grassroots community outreach. Her favorite subjects include sociology, postcolonial studies, and the political histories of Northern Eurasia.
Maya Jan Mackey is a student at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Plan II Interdisciplinary Honors, Government, and History. Her studies focus on American social history and law, specifically constitutional law. Maya is a dedicated advocate for criminal justice reform and an active participant in multiple public service organizations. In her free time, she enjoys singing and writing poetry. She is interested in learning about constitutional structures around the globe in preparation for a career as a civil rights attorney and federal judge.
Jamie Mahowald is a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin studying mathematics in the Plan II Honors program and pursuing minors in Latin and Government. He has worked as an intern at the U.S. Department of Justice for the last two summers and as a research assistant at the UT School of Law, which cemented his interest in the intersection of mathematics and government. He plans to pursue a masters in applied mathematics, and he hopes to spend his career helping to modernize national security in the 21st Century.
Catalina Mulhollan is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a Psychology and Sociology double major, and she is also pursuing a minor in Government. Outside of class, Cat serves as a community service officer in her sorority, where she plans workshops for the Central Texas Girl Scouts and fundraises for the Austin Center for Child Protection. She is also a member of UT’s Women in Psychology Club. Cat is interested in public policy and hopes to work in a field where she can have a positive impact on the lives of children.
Elias Roldan graduated from the University of Texas at Austin this spring with a B.A. in Government and a minor in Sociology. He enjoyed classes in comparative politics, city politics, and administrative law. After an internship with a Justice of the Peace, he also realized he greatly enjoyed being involved in the day-to-day administrative efforts of local governmental authorities. He plans to continue learning about these topics by pursuing a Master of Public Affairs.
Yaser Tahboub is a junior at the University of Chicago majoring in Fundamentals: Issues and Texts and minoring in Inequalities, Social Problems, and Change. He works in student government as the lead caseworker for the Financial Aid division of the Student Advocate’s Office, helping students navigate the University’s administrative and financial aid processes and reporting to administrators on related issues. He is also a Nonprofit Management and Development intern with the Rural Debate Initiative, developing its national reach and influence.
Jenna Thiergart is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Government with a minor in Sociology. She is studying pre-law. She also serves on the executive board of her sorority. The field of comparative constitutionalism is one of her favorite topics within the study of government, inspiring her to join the CCP team. She hopes to use the knowledge gained in the internship in preparation for a career as an attorney.